bullying: Information and Much More from Answers.com

Bullying is the act of intentionally causing unhappiness to others through verbalharassment, physicalassault, or other more subtle methods ofcoercion such asmanipulation. There is currentlyno legal definition of bullying.
In colloquial speech, bullying often describes a form of harassment perpetrated by an abuser who possesses more physicaland/or social power and dominance than the victim. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a target. The harassmentcan be verbal, physical and/or emotional.
Norwegian researcher Dan Owelus defines bullying as when a person is "exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negativeactions on the part of one or more other persons." He defines negative action as "when a person intentionally inflictsinjury or discomfort upon another person, through physical contact, through words or in other ways."[1]
Bullying can occur in any setting where human beings interact with each other. This includesschool, the workplace, home and neighborhoods. Bullying can exist between social groups, social classes and evenbetweencountries (seeJingoism).
Effects
The effects of bullying can be serious and even fatal. About 85% of bullying victims suffer long term psychological damage andstress related disease later in their lives.[citation needed] Mona O’Moore, Ph.D, asserts that "Thereis a growing body of researchwhich indicates that individuals, whether child or adult who arepersistently subjected to abusive behavior are at risk of stressrelated illness which can sometimes lead to suicide."[2]
Victims of bullying can suffer from long term emotional, academic,and behavioral problems. Bullying can cause loneliness,depression, and anxiety as a bullying victim begins to believe thatsomething is wrong with them. Victims can also have a loss ofconfidence and an increase in susceptibility to illness.
Deaths associated with bullying
For specific examples, seeList of people who died due tobullying
There have been examples of people dying as a result of bullying. Direct deaths caused by bullying generally come as a resultof homicide by the bully, or as suicide by the victim.[3][4][5] However, there have also been cases of indirect deathsfrom bullying. For example, accidental deaths not directly related to the actions of a bully, or killings carried out againstbullies and others by victims of bullies.[6]
Bullying behavior
Bullying is an act of repeated aggressive behavior in order to intentionally hurt another person. Bullying is characterized byan individual behaving in a certain way to gain power over another person (Besag, 1989). Behaviors may include name calling,verbal or written abuse, exclusion from activities, exclusion from social situations, physical abuse, or coercion (Carey, 2003;Whitted & Dupper, 2005). Bullies may behave this way to be perceived as popular or tough or to get attention. They may bullyout of jealousy or be acting out because they themselves are bullied (Crothers & Levinson, 2004).
US National Center for Education Statistics suggests that bullying can be broken into two categories: Direct bullying, andindirect bullying which is also known as social aggression.[7]
Ross states that direct bullying involves a great deal of physicalaggression such asshoving and poking, throwing things,slapping,choking,punching andkicking,beating,stabbing, pulling hair,scratching,biting and scraping.[8]
He also suggests that social aggression or indirect bullying is characterized by forcing the victim intosocial isolation. Thisisolation is achievedthrough a wide variety of techniques, including spreadinggossip, refusing to socialize with thevictim, bullying other people who wish to socialize with the victim, and criticizing the victim‘s manner of dress and othersocially-significant markers (including the victim‘s race, religion, disability, etc). Ross (1998)[8] outlines other forms of indirect bullying which are more subtle and morelikely to be verbal, such as name calling, the silent treatment, arguing others into submission, manipulation,gossip/ false gossip, lies, rumors/ false rumors, staring, giggling, laughing at the victim, saying certain wordsthat trigger a reaction from a past event, and mocking. Children‘s charityAct AgainstBullying was set up in 2003 to help children who were victims of this type of bullying by researching and publishingcoping skills.
Characteristics of bullies
Research indicates that adults who bully have personalities that are authoritarian, combined with a strong need to control ordominate.[9] It has also been suggested that a deficit insocialskills and a prejudicial view of subordinates can be particular risk factors.[10]
Further studies have shown that whileenvy andresentmentmay be motives for bullying,[11] there is littleevidence to suggest that bullies suffer from any deficit inself esteem (as this would makeit difficult to bully).[12] However, there areinstances where bullying takes place only for humor. It is generally used in this instance by children who were bullied earlierin their lives, on the assumption that those who bullied them derived fun from their acts and that this would teach the victimsto do the same. However many bullies have never suffered bullying themselves and only bully others because it is fun and it hasnothing to do with being bullied when they were younger, to impress other people or to be socialy accepted. Bullies say thesethings are the reason for their actions because they won‘t be punished as badly.
Researchers have identified other risk factors such as quickness toanger and use of force,addiction to aggressive behaviors, mistaking others‘ actions as hostile, concern withpreservingself image, and engaging in obsessive or rigid actions.[13]
Bullying may also be "tradition" in settings where an age group or higher rank feels superior than lowerclassmen.
It is often suggested that bullying behavior has its origin in childhood:
"If aggressive behaviour is not challenged in childhood, there is a danger that it may become habitual. Indeed, there isresearch evidence, to indicate that bullying during childhood puts children at risk of criminal behaviour and domestic violencein adulthood."[2]
Bullying does not necessarily involve criminality or physical violence. For example, bullying often operates throughpsychological abuse orverbal abuse.
Bullying can often be associated withstreet gangs, especially at school.
History of bullying
High-level forms of violence such as assault and murder usually receive most media attention, but lower-level forms ofviolence such as bullying, has only in recent years started to be addressed by researchers, educators, parents and legislators(Whitted & Dupper, 2005).
It is only in recent years that bullying has been recognised and recorded as a separate and distinct offence, but there havebeen well documented cases the were recorded in a different context. The Fifth Volume of the Newgate Calendar[14] contains at least one example where Eton Scholars George Alexander Woodand Alexander Wellesley Leith were charged, at Aylesbury Assizes, with killing and slaying the Hon. F. Ashley Cooper on February28, 1825 in an incident that would now, surely be described as "lethal hazing"[15]. The Newgate calendar contains several other examples that, while not as distinct, could beconsidered indicative of situations of bullying.
Types of bullying
School bullying
In schools, bullying usually occurs in areas with minimal or no adult supervision. It can occur in nearly any part in oraround the school building, though it more often occurs in PE, exploratory classes, recess, hallways, bathrooms,school busesand waiting for buses, classes that require group work and/orafterschool activities. Bullyingin school sometimes consists of a group of students taking advantageof, or isolating one student in particular, and outnumberinghim/her. Targets of bullying in school are often pupils who areconsidered strange or different by their peers to begin with,making the situation harder for them to deal with.[citation needed] Bullying can also be perpetrated by teachers, especiallyvain or mean teachers.[citation needed]
School shootings receive an enormous amount of media attention. The children whoperpetrate these shootings sometimes claim that they were victims of bullying and that they resorted toviolence only after the school administration repeatedly failed to intervene. In many of these cases, thevictims of the shooters sued both the shooters‘ families and the schools.[citation needed]
Some suggest these rare but horrific events have led schools to try harder to discourage bullying, with programs designed toteach students cooperation, as well as training peer moderators inintervention anddispute resolution techniques, asa form ofpeer support.
American victims and their families have legal recourse, such as suing a school or teacher for failure to adequatelysupervise, racial or genderdiscrimination, or othercivilrights violations. Special education students who are victimized may sue a school or school board under theADA orSection504.
Workplace bullying
Main article:Workplace bullying
According to the Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute,[16] workplace bullying is "the repeated mistreatment of one employee targeted by one or moreemployees with a malicious mix of humiliation, intimidation and sabotage of performance." Statistics show that bullying is 3times as prevalent as illegaldiscrimination and at least 1,600 times as prevalent asworkplaceviolence. Statistics also show that while only one employee in every 10,000 becomes avictim of workplace violence, one in six experiences bullying at work. Bullying is also far more common thansexual harassment andverbal abuse.
Unlike the more physical form of schoolyard bullying, workplace bullying often takes place within the established rules andpolicies of the organization and society. Such actions are not necessarily illegal and may not even be against the firm‘sregulations; however, the damage to the targeted employee and to workplace morale is obvious.
Particularly when perpetrated by a group, workplace bullying is sometimes known asmobbing.
Cyber-bullying
Main article:Cyber-bullying
Cyberbullying occurs in electronic space.[17]According to Canadian educator Bill Belsey, it:
...involves the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instantmessaging, defamatory personal Web sites, blogs, online games and defamatory online personal polling Web sites, to supportdeliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others.
—Cyberbullying: An Emerging Threat to the Always On Generation[18]
Bullies will even create blogs to intimidate victims worldwide.[citation needed]
Political bullying
Main article:Jingoism
Jingoism occurs when one country imposes its will on another. This is normally done withmilitary force or threats. With threats, it is common to ensure that aid and grants will not be given to the smaller country orthat the smaller country will not be allowed to join a trading organization. Oftenpolitical corruptions,coup d‘états, andkleptocracies are the solution and response to the countries being bullied.[citation needed]
Military bullying
In 2000, the UKMinistry of Defence (MOD) defined bullying as:“...the use of physical strength or the abuse of authority to intimidate or victimize others, or to give unlawfulpunishments.”[19] A review of a number of deaths bysuicide atPrincess Royal Barracks, Deepcut by Nicholas BlakeQC indicated that whilst a culture of bullying existed during the mid to late 1990s manyof the issues were being addressed as a result of the Defence Training Review.[20]
Some argue that this behaviour should be allowed because of ageneral academic consensus that "soldiering" is different fromother occupations. Soldiers expected to risk their lives should,according to them, develop strength of body and spirit to acceptbullying.[21]
In some countries, ritualhazing among recruits has been tolerated and even lauded as arite of passage that builds character and toughness; while in others, systematicbullying of lower-ranking, young or physically slight recruits may in fact be encouraged by military policy, either tacitly orovertly (seededovschina). Also, the Russian army usually have older/moreexperienced candidates abusing - kicking or punching - less experienced soldiers.[22].
Hazing
Main articles:Hazing andRagging
Hazing is an often ritualistic test, which may constitute harassment, abuse or humiliation with requirements to performmeaningless tasks; sometimes as a way of initiation into a social group. The term can refer to either physical (sometimesviolent) or mental (possibly degrading) practices. It is a subjective matter where to draw to line between ‘normal‘ hazing(somewhat abusive) and a mererite of passage(essentially bonding; proponents may arguethey can coincide), and there is a gray area where exactly the otherside passes over into sheer degrading, even harmful abusethat should not even be tolerated if accepted voluntarily (serious butavoidable accidents do still happen; even deliberate abusewith similar grave medical consequences occurs, in some traditions evenrather often). Furthermore, as it must be a ritualinitiation, a different social context may mean a same treatment is technically hazing for some, not for others, e.g. aline-crossing ceremony when passing the equator at sea is hazing for the sailorwhile the extended (generally voluntary, more playful) application to passengers is not.
Hazing has been reported in a variety of social contexts, including:
Sports teams
Academicfraternities andsororities (seefraternities and sororities)These practices are not limited to American schools. Swedish students undergo a similar bonding period, known as nollningen, in which all members of the entering class participate.
College and universities in general.
Associated groups, like fan clubs, school bands
Secret societies and even certainservice clubs, or rather their local sections (such as some modern USFreemasons; not traditional masonic lodges)
Similarly various other competitive sports teams or clubs, even ‘soft‘ and non-competitive ones (such as arts)
The armed forces — e.g., in the U.S., hard hazing practices fromWorld War I boot camps were introduced into colleges. InPoland army hazing is called Polish fala "wave" adopted pre-World War I from non-Polish armies. In theRussian army (formerly theRed Army) hazing is called "Dedovshchina".
Police forces (often with aparamilitary tradition)
Rescue services, such as lifeguards (also drilled for operations in military style)
In workplaces
Inmate hazing is also common at confinement facilities around the world, including frequent reports of beatings and sexual assaults by fellow inmates.
Hazing is considered a felony in several US states, and anti hazing legislation has been proposed in other states.
Strategies to cope with bullying
Traditional Response
While various strategies to deal with bullies have been put forth,conventionalwisdom, anecdotal evidence, and common perception indicates that the only effective method[citation needed] that stops bullying is to respond inkind - to confront the violence of the bully with violence in return. This response, though it may not stop an attack, reducesthe benefit of bullying the target individual.
The basis of this concept is that the bullied is seen to be an "easy target" and that there are few, if any, consequences toharassing them. By removing the fundamental basis of the bully/target relationship, the bullying ends.
This response is also very often the most effective means of stopping bullying, usually to only one.
Helping victims at school
Many of the responsibilities of members of a school team is that they need to help the victims of bullying.[23] The following strategies may be considered:
If a person voluntarily comes to someone for help then they need to listen. Sometimes this is all that the victim wants and needs. (Note that many schools seem to think that this is all that is needed and, while their technical policy does not say so, in practice they refuse to take things beyond this level.)
After investigating the situation, it may be that intervention is necessary with the bully or bullies. The situation needs to be addressed and hopefully a resolution to the problem can be found.
Inform the parents of the victim and of the bully. Discuss possible solutions with them. Arrange a meeting with them if possible.
Follow up in communicating with the victim, the parents and the teachers about the situation.
Monitor the behavior of the bully and the safety of the victim on a school-wide basis.
Strategies to reduce bullying within schools
Researchers (Olweus, 1993;[24] Craig &Peplar, 1999;[25] Ross, 1998;[8] Morrison, 2002;[26]) provide several strategies which address ways to help reduce bullying, theseinclude:
make adults aware of the situation and involve them
make it clear that bullying is never acceptable
hold a school conference day devoted to bully/victim problems
increase adult supervision in the yard, halls and washrooms more vigilantly
emphasize caring, respect and safety
emphasize consequences of hurting others
enforce consistent and immediate consequences for aggressive behaviours
follow up on all instances of aggression
improve communication among school administrators, teachers, parents and students
have a school problem box where kids can report problems, concerns and offer suggestions
teach cooperative learning activities
help bullies with anger control and the development of empathy
encourage positive peer relations
offer a variety of extracurricular activities which appeal to a range of interests
See also
Aggression
Social rejection
Social defeat
Teasing
Protection racket
List of books on bullying
References
^ Olweus, D.A Research Definition of Bullying
^abAnti-Bullying Center Trinity College, Dublin
^ Alphonso, C,Bullies push their victims to suicideThe Globe and Mail,27 November,2000.
^Saitama boy commits suicide after schoolmate demanded money Yahoo Asia News13 November2006
^Third Trial Finds Kelly Ellard Guilty of MurderCBC News,13 April,2005.
^ Kurtz, Holly,Columbine bully talk persists, Denver Rocky Mountain News
^Student Reports of Bullying, Results From the 2001 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, US National Center for Education Statistics
^abc Ross, P.N. (1998). Arresting violence: A resource guide for schools and their communities. Toronto: Ontario Public School Teachers‘ Federation.
^ The Harassed Worker, Brodsky, C. (1976),D.C. Heath and Company, Lexington, Massachusetts.
^ Petty tyranny in organizations , Ashforth, Blake, Human Relations, Vol. 47, No. 7, 755-778 (1994)
^ Bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace. International perspectives in research and practice, Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., & Cooper, C. L. (Eds.)(2003), Taylor & Francis, London.
^ Bullies and their victims: Understanding a pervasive problem in the schools, Batsche, G. M., & Knoff, H. M. (1994) School PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW, 23 (2), 165-174. EJ 490 574.
^ Areas of Expert Agreement on Identification of School Bullies and Victims, Hazler, R. J., Carney, J. V., Green, S., Powell, R., & Jolly, L. S. (1997). School Psychology International, 18, 3-12.
^Complete Newgate Calendar Tarlton Law Library The University of Texas School of Law
^GEORGE ALEXANDER WOOD AND ALEXANDER WELLESLEY LEITH The Complete Newgate Calendar Volume V, Tarlton Law Library The University of Texas School of Law
^Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute Brochure
^Striking back at the cyberbullies Page, Chris, BBC, UK.
^ Belsey, WCyberbullying: An Emerging Threat to the Always On Generation
^ The Values and Standards of the British Army – A Guide to Soldiers, Ministry of Defence, UK March 2000, paragraph 23.
^Deepcut Review accessed 14 Jan 07
^ Social Psychology of the Individual Soldier, Jean M. Callaghan and Franz Kernic 2003 Armed Forces and International Security: Global Trends and Issues, Lit Verlag, Munster
^Military bullying a global problem, BBC, UK Monday, 28 November 2005
^ Thames Valley District School Board (2006). Safeschools. London, Ontario
^ Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Oxford Blackwell Publishers.
^ Craig, W.M. & Peplar, D.J. (1999). Children who bully - Will they just grow out of it? Orbit, 29 (4), 16 - 19.
^ Morrison, B. (2002).Bullying and victimisation in schools: a restorative justice approach. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice. No.219; Feb. 2002. Australian Institute of Criminology.
External links
Canadian anti-bullying safety database
Bullying in schools (Australia - schools)
Bullying in schools (UK - schools)